Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison show returns to Weill Center

John “The Voice of Elvis” Van Thiel will keep the spirit of Elvis alive during the “Elvis & Orbison: The Voices of Rock” show at the Stefanie H. Weill Center for the Performing Arts in Sheboygan. The show begins 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 22.
(Photo:
Submitted
)

A good impersonator has the ability to transport an audience back in time, conjuring up fond memories of that particular performer.

For John “The Voice of Elvis” Van Thiel and his musical partner and Roy Orbison impersonator Danny J, the seed to do so was planted at an early age.

“My parents would watch Elvis movies on TV. Something in Elvis’ voice and personality resonated with me,” Van Thiel said. “We didn’t have an Elvis record in the house, but my dad would once in a while record songs from the movies for me to listen to since I couldn’t stay up to watch them. When no one was around, I’d play those songs and sing along, trying to copy him.”

Danny J, who’s billed as “The Pavarotti of Rock,” had a similar childhood experience while listening to Orbison.

“When I was a kid, I tried to emulate his voice quite a bit and just played his records until the needle wore out the LP,” Danny J said. “Orbison had all these beautiful octaves that he could hit and the music was just phenomenal. A lot of it is pretty powerful versus a lot of other music.”

Both Van Thiel and Danny J are keeping the spirit of these two icons alive with their “Elvis & Orbison: The Voices of Rock,” a tribute to two of music’s greatest legends, which makes a return trip to the Stefanie H. Weill Center for the Performing Arts in Sheboygan at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 22.

The tribute show was hatched while the two Wisconsin natives were performing as members of the group “Mark Shurilla and The Greatest Hits.” After Shurilla passed away in 2012, Danny J, who now lives in Illinois, and Van Thiel, who lives in Racine, decided to create their own show, including a 12-piece show band called The Legendaires.

Elvis and Orbison were good friends, and they had always wanted to perform together, but it never happened. With the “Voices of Rock” show, Danny J and Van Thiel are creating a what-if scenario on stage.

“We give the audience the opportunity to see what it would be like to have Roy Orbison and Elvis on stage together,” said Danny J, adding that the Sheboygan show marks the first time that he and Van Thiel will perform a duet together.

The duo’s main focus is on giving the audience a believable performance.

“We’re committed to giving the audience the greatest of Elvis and Orbison together,” Danny J said. “So we have to give them the show that they paid for. I’m giving the impression of Roy being there with the wig, looking similar to him, but not trying to be him.”

Van Thiel is on the same page as Danny J when it comes to the show.

“I focus on making special moments for people,” Van Thiel said. “I want everyone in the audience to be moved. There’s a magic to Elvis Presley. He had such a profound influence on his fans. If I can bring a bit of that to life for them, help them relive their memories, make them feel the songs as he made them feel them — then I’ve done my job.”

To pull off a magical impersonation, the look and the voice have to be in synch.

“From a distance, people say I look so much like him in this particular time period,” Danny J said. “Roy used to stand still on that stage and just performed. And when he opened up his mouth, he mesmerized the entire audience with his voice. So I try to emulate the voice.”

In the case of Van Thiel, his metamorphosis into Elvis is more organic.

“My appearance is completely authentic,” Van Thiel said. “Some guys have surgery, many wear wigs. I’m just me, but people respond to my resemblance to Elvis. I’m very blessed and grateful to have a great head of hair for doing Elvis. The best compliment to me, the one that validates what I do, is when someone believes I’m lip syncing.”

Having a great performance that transcends time is what it’s all about for Danny J and Van Thiel.

“We make sure the moms and pops are able to come out and see us and enjoy the music they grew up on,” Danny J said. “People in the audience get up out of their chairs and dance the way they did when they were 14 and 15 years old ... We get so many people that want to have pictures taken with us, get a hug from us or tell us about something that they remembered when they were listening to certain songs.”